7 Important W’s of Love Jihad That We Need To Talk About

However, what matters the most is that we are humans, and no religious divide can change this fact.

Now picture this: A Hindu girl falls in love with a Muslim guy, and even marries him. But she eventually finds out that the man was feigning love so that he could change her religion. Love Jihad is an idea that revolves around this very concept. An issue of casteism that dates back to 2009 with first alleged conversions in Mangalore and Kerala.

Recently, a video of a man mercilessly attacking another man with an axe and burning him alive surfaced online. Media houses immediately referred it to be another instance of love jihad. While later few reports claimed otherwise. Nevertheless, this has sure started another debate around love jihad.
Here are the seven most important W’s that you need to know about the Love Jihad

What is Love Jihad?

Okay, read it, let that sink in. I know it is hard to believe, but this is what ‘Love Jihad’ is. There is no proper evidence to provide support to this definition but certain instances and cases (that you will read further) support the above definition.

Why didn’t anyone oppose it?

In November 2009, it was first reported a number of organisations are luring girls and forcing them to convert to Islam. However, upon investigation, no proof was found, and thus no action could be taken against these organisations.

When did it all begin?

The idea of Love Jihad dates back to the year 2009. Various reports and surveys show that in October 2009, around 4,500 girls from Kerala were converted to Islam and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti claims that Karnataka alone witnessed the conversion of over 30,000 girls.

Where did it all begin?

First instances of Love Jihad were reported from Kerala and Mangalore in the coastal Karnataka region, but as of 2014 cases from Bihar, Kanpur, Gwalior and even England started coming to light.

Former DGP says Love Jihad prevalent in Kerala

Former DGP of Kerala TP Senkumar has sparked controversy with his statement on Love Jihad and that it is prevalent in Kerala.”There should be attempts from within the community to check religious extremists,” says the former DGP of Kerala TP Senkumar.

Here are certain highlighted cases that were reported in the long tenure of 2009-2017

Case-1

In July 2010, Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan mentioned that several matrimonial conversations that were being reported in the state were a part of the bigger plot that aims at converting the region to a Muslim minority state. This was further deemed to be dangerous.

Case-2

Ashita, 20-year-old girl from Kerala, was allegedly tortured because she wanted to marry a Muslim man. “I cried and shouted for help all through the journey. They stuffed a cloth into my mouth. My father’s brother and a man called Ashwin, a staff member at the yoga centre, beat me inside the car,” the girl, Ashita had told news daily The Quint.

Case-3

The Hadiya case made headlines once again in the last couple of days. An 18-year-old Akhila left her village in Kerala to study in Salem, Tamil Nadu. Encountering some friends from the Muslim community, she changed her name to Hadiya and started following Islam. All of this against her parents’ will. Akhila’s father filed a petition in Kerala High Court stating that his daughter was being indoctrinated forcefully. To add to his woes, Hadiya married Shafin while the case was still in court, in December 2016. The case was immediately dubbed as a case of love jihad and the National Investigation Agency was asked to probe the matter

Case-4

ndia’s National shooter Tara Shahdeo

National shooter Tara filed a complaint against her husband in 2014 that he forced her to convert to Islam and when she refused to do so he tortured her.

We are humans first

In all of this, we have forgotten humanity.

Why force something on someone in the name of love or religious beliefs?

Let’s come out of our shell and act against such issues.

#IAmAHumanFirst and then a Hindu or a Muslim or a Sikh or a Christian.